Promise is not just a fish tale

Thursday

Nov 11, 2010 at 2:00 AMNov 11, 2010 at 11:00 PM

A fisherman peered through the heavy mist and spied a sight that made him rub his eyes in disbelief. There in the fog-shrouded water was a harbor seal, alone not an unusual sight, but in the seal's mouth was a fishing pole being delivered to him.

A fisherman peered through the heavy mist and spied a sight that made him rub his eyes in disbelief. There in the fog-shrouded water was a harbor seal, alone not an unusual sight, but in the seal's mouth was a fishing pole being delivered to him. Randy made a living fishing. It's not unusual when you spend hours upon hours on the sea that your mind can play tricks on you. The man had a penchant for telling sea tales no matter how far fetched to his friends, who always took them with a grain of salt. This time the gift-giving seal was a little too much. That's the premise of the Parallel Lines Productions play Promises, being developed before a regional theater run in New York or Chicago in its world premiere on the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater Julie Harris Stage. WHAT Artistic Director Jeff Zinn received a call from the show's executive producer Jed Bernstein last spring inquiring about securing stage space for the play’s shakedown. Although WHAT's scheduled plays end in October, the chance to extend the season a month, especially with a New York production company’s work, was irresistible. Written by James B. Murphy II, Promise is based on an ancient Celtic legend and is equally a modern dance piece and dramatic production. Director John Tillinger, who boasts a lengthy Broadway resume dating back to the late 1960s along with choreographer Christopher d'Ambroise, whose background is equally impressive, have put together a talented cast that gives the play an ethereal feel both beautiful and mysterious. The actors are led by Ed Hyland as Sledge, a boat broker who has grown tired of Randy’s (Graham Winton) tall tales. On a foggy afternoon in a seaside pub named Maggie's after its owner, played by Lizbeth MacKay, an argument ensues over yet another whopper. All three Equity actors deliver solid interpretations of what is, for lack of a better word, the real world. It's the unreal or mythical dimension of the play that makes the story flow. Promise, portrayed by Tessa Klein, oozes through both sides of the looking glass. Her fetching beauty and sensuous dance movements are those of a mystical siren. Supporting her are Natsuki Arai, Gerald Haynes, Mary Horne, and Jacob Michael Warren, whose modern dance style adds much to the overall package. This is a unique theater experience on Cape Cod both for its interweaving of dance and drama and also because of its pedigreed background. Even in its infancy, the show holds the stage strongly. Promise will be performed Wednesday through Sundays at 8 p.m. through Nov. 21. For tickets ($32 and $25; $16 students), call 508-349-9428 or go to www.what.org.